A FORMER solicitor who facilitated a property fraud that resulted in Scotland's longest criminal trial has been banned from returning to his profession.

From his office in Bridge of Weir, John Craxton carried out work on behalf of Edwin McLaren, who was jailed for 11 years in 2017 following his prosecution at the High Court in Glasgow.

Previously, Craxton successfully sought to have his name removed from the roll of solicitors in Scotland.

But the Scottish Solicitors' Discipline Tribunal has now prohibited the restoration of his name to the roll after finding him guilty of professional misconduct.

It said: "The tribunal considered the respondent's misconduct in this case to be at the very highest level of seriousness. The fiscal had described it as being deplorable and the tribunal did not disagree.”

The tribunal said it was "extremely concerned" about the safety of the public and the reputation of the profession following the complaint brought before it by the Law Society of Scotland.

Craxton, of Ashton View, Dumbarton, had been allowed to remove his name from the solicitors' roll but that did not prevent him attempting to have it restored.

The tribunal said it was demonstrated that he was not a fit and proper person to be a solicitor and should not be allowed to have his name restored to the roll in future.

It said that Craxton, formerly of the firm Craxton and Grant, admitted that he facilitated McLaren's fraud and discussed with him a scheme to buy distressed sellers' properties in 2008.

The tribunal stated: "He admitted that he accepted instructions from Mr McLaren in the knowledge of his plan.”

McLaren was "the controlling mind"  in a scheme to get homeowners to sell to him or his nominees at a reduced price on the promise that they could remain in the property.

"The sellers were induced to relinquish their real right to their property for a small proportion of its value," said the tribunal.

The Crown is currently pursuing a Proceeds of Crime action against 56-year-old McLaren, formerly of Juniper Avenue, Bridge of Weir, in a bid to claw back some of his ill-gotten gains.